have to wear road bike helmet?

slow_rider
slow_rider Posts: 6
edited May 2012 in Commuting chat
I am thinking of buying a road bike as a commuter bike and just realised that the helmets for road bikes are different. Will that look too strange or stupid to wear my old helmet (a mountain bike style, I believe) with a road bike?

I am hesitating now to switch to road now. Although I can afford buying new stuff, but still it is a waste to me. My spare tyres are not going to be used due to the different size. And now the helmet will be also left in the garage to collect dust only.

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Nah. Who cares?
    _
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    No-one sees you on a bike. No-one's interested. Wear it, leave it in the garage. You're the only person who'll give a single hoot.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Depends if it has a peak. The peak can be a pain in the neck (literally) on a road bike, as you'll need to look up more to see from underneath it. If it's removable, what ^ he said.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • slow_rider
    slow_rider Posts: 6
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Nah. Who cares?

    thanks. that is what I thought. I knew it would be a silly question. lol :)
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    You can of course simply remove the peak if you are that worried but no one cares especially on the commute.

    Once you get on the drops you will realise why road lids don't have peaks too.
    FCN = 4
  • slow_rider
    slow_rider Posts: 6
    Ah, thanks. This is a good point. I will try it on when I get the bike.
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    Depends if it has a peak. The peak can be a pain in the neck (literally) on a road bike, as you'll need to look up more to see from underneath it. If it's removable, what ^ he said.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,770
    Peaks are good at keeping rain out of your eyes if it's persisting down.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    slow_rider wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Nah. Who cares?

    thanks. that is what I thought. I knew it would be a silly question. lol :)

    Not silly.

    Think of it this way. How often do you see a cyclist and think "what a Johnson! He's riding a road bike with a MTB helmet?".

    You don't. In all likelihood, neither does anyone else. Whoever does isn't worth impressing anyway.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Peaks are good at keeping rain out of your eyes if it's persisting down.

    Indeed.

    Roadies compromise with road caps.

    Anyway, guess who's wearing a peak in this photo?

    Lance-Armstrong-001.jpg
    _
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Wear it, I wear a mtb helmet, visor is great, hell its even done a TT or two.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    I wear a MTB helmet. It used to have a peak, but it came off in an accident, so its all good :)
    FCN 4 PX SL Pro SRAM Red
    FCN 8 Scott Sportster '05
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Peaks are good at keeping rain out of your eyes if it's persisting down.

    Indeed.

    Roadies compromise with road caps.

    Anyway, guess who's wearing a peak in this photo?

    Lance-Armstrong-001.jpg

    What a noob, it looks like he's wearing a MTB helmet! :mrgreen:
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    They are all wearing what the sponsors tell them too

    that's if they want the mortgage paid......
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    estampida wrote:
    They are all wearing what the sponsors tell them too

    that's if they want the mortgage paid......

    I'm fairly sure Lance could have had a helmet without a peak if he wanted it. Just like he used a non-sponsor saddle for ages.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    I wear a Giro Rift with a peak and have a couple of silicone LEDs on the peak and as already mentioned peaks are a bonus in the rain.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,104
    They keep the sun out of your eyes as well as the rain. I use my MTB helmets for commuting no problem.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,977
    A lot of helmet manufacturers (e.g. Bell, LAS, Specialized) sell high end lids with removable peaks. In that photo Lance is wearing a Giro Ionos. I have one and it doesn't have a peak. Ergo - its made especially for him.

    If you are the sort of person who worries whether the colour highlights on your shorts set off nicely against the colour of your frame or bar tape, you need to be thinking not only about whether your bike helmet has a peak on it but whether you moisturise.

    However if you DON'T have a man bag, who gives a sh!t?

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